These findings come from a meta-analysis done by Mayo Clinic, which looked at various studies conducted on running over the past 30 years.

The consensus? First of all, running is really good for you.

In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, it's associated with lower risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke, as well as lower blood pressure and improved blood sugar.

Here's the best part: The analysis found people who ran a few times a week (logging about 6 miles total) got the same benefits as people running more than that.

While people running more than 20 miles per week did see a bit of an increased cardiovascular benefits, their running habits were also associated with increased heart dysfunction, risk of injury and death.